Adam Coglianese
The versatile Sportswriter (Maybry’s Boy), winner of the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes series for 3-year-olds at Saratoga on turf, captured the $100,000 Thunder Rumble division for eligible runners three-and-up at seven furlongs on the dirt at Aqueduct on Wednesday.
Bet down to 1-5 favoritism for the Thunder Rumble by post time, Sportswriter travelled in fourth early on, three lengths off the lead as Frisky Warrior set the pace (23.36, 47.16) pressed by Keltic Fighter and Dave’s Shadow.
Advancing into contention around the turn, Sportswriter took over the lead in upper stretch and kicked clear by two lengths. The grey then dug in gamely to hold off a late challenge by Anaphylaxis and secure the victory by three-quarters of a length. Anaphylaxis (Tomorrows Cat), who advanced four wide in the turn, was a willing second in his stakes debut, just a neck ahead of Maggie’s Hadder (Hook and Ladder).
Completing the order of finish were Game Token, Frisky Warrior, Keltic Fighter and Dave’s Shadow. The final time for the seven furlongs on the fast Aqueduct main track was 1:24.22.
Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, “I wanted to time it just right and not move too soon. When I asked him, he responded so well. Today, it worked out perfect for him.”
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez added, “He’s been very good since we got him, and he’s always trained very, very good. We got very lucky to buy him. He’s as solid as they come and tries every time. If they go easy on the lead, he can be on the lead, or he can stay behind. This was a good race for him, and he got the job done.”
A debut winner for Flying Zee Stable and trainer Carlos Martin at Saratoga in 2011, and first winner for current Second Crop New York sire Maybry’s Boy (Highcliff at Mill Creek Farm), Sportswriter’s second visit to the winner’s circle came in January when he took an entry-level allowance for state-breds at Aqueduct by open lengths for new owners Michael Dubb and Michael Imperio, who purchased him in December 2011 for $60,000 in the mixed portion of the Flying Zee Dispersal.
In addition to winning an open allowance at Aqueduct in March, Sportswriter also added four stakes placings in competitive company to his resume before his Cab Calloway victory: third in the Sweet Envoy to Pretension, second in the Patsy’s Prospect to Zetterholm, second in the Times Square Division of the NYSS and second in the open Western Larla. In his most recent start, the Hudson on Showcase Day, Sportswriter finished a competitive fourth for a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
Sportswriter’s second stakes victory on Wednesday improves his career tally to 5-3-1 from 16 lifetime starts and carries his earnings over the quarter-million dollar threshold to $283,684.
Bred by Flying Zee Stable and foaled at Highcliff Farm, Sportswriter is the second foal out of the winning Point Given mare Point Spread, who was purchased by Flying Zee at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Calder Select 2-year-old sale for $185,000. Point Spread currently has a 2-year-old filly by Western Expression named Aunt Tipsy and an unnamed yearling filly by the same sire. Her first foal, Chalk Player (Johannesburg), is a multiple winner of $88,460.
